Kirkstall Road Recycling Centre closes for refurbishment

Kirkstall Road Recycling Centre is set to shut its doors for 12 months.

As previously reported, the council recently approved a £5.2 million upgrade to the outdated recycling plant.

The revamp includes creating a new split level public recycling area, an operational area for the council to store and transfer recyclable materials, new offices and staff facilities, space to store wheeled bins and landscaping works.

The redeveloped site will also be home to a reuse shop. Items left at the site that are too good to be thrown away will be sold to the public.

The shop will be run by a not-for-profit community organisation, who will offer training, volunteering and apprenticeship opportunities for local people. Profits from the enterprise will be ploughed back into their organisation.

“Although the Kirkstall site is well used, its refurbishment is long overdue.

“The new reuse shop has been very successful elsewhere in the city so we’re looking forward to seeing it set up in Kirkstall.

“We appreciate that the temporary site closure will inconvenience local residents, but with our ambition to recycle more, the site modernisation is necessary. The improved site will help us to respond to the wishes of local people more effectively, particularly when it comes to issues such as the effective disposal of unwanted items around student changeover time.”

To allow people to do their festive recycling, the site will be open from 27 to 31 December and again on 2 and 3 January 2016 before closing on 4 January.

Alternative sites can be found Meanwood Road and Pudsey.

The revamped Kirkstall site is expected to reopen in early 2017.

Once operational, it is estimated that increases in recycling at the site could generate savings of £25,000 a year.

Part of the site was demolished last year after complaints that it had become an eyesore following a blaze in 2002.